The present application claims priority to Swedish Patent Application No. 0200674-0 filed Mar. 5, 2002. Said application is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a stapler designed for stapling together a workpiece, primarily a sheaf of papers. The stapler comprises or includes a base part and a stapling unit connected by a connecting device enabling the base part and stapling unit to move relative to each other. The stapling unit has a staple magazine in which staple blanks are stored and a drive unit that operates the stapler so as to perform a stapling operation whereby the workpiece is stapled. The base part is provided with an anvil surface on which the workpiece is placed and against which stapling is carried out, the staple being applied to the workpiece in an orientation such that its longitudinal direction is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the stapler.
2. Background Information
Staplers of the type described above are generally known. These types of staplers typically feature a connecting device with a part on each side of the longitudinal direction of the stapler. The disadvantage of these types of connecting devices is that they make it impossible for the workpiece (papers) that is to be stapled to be subsequently passed through the stapler after being stapled together.
The capability for the workpiece to pass through the stapler upon completion of stapling is one which has become highly demanded in instances particularly where staplers are located in copying machine and the machine""s layout requires that the workpiece be carried on a continuous conveyor, and is ultimately stapled prior to discharge into a collection tray. To achieve this feature, staplers have previously been made with separate stapling units and base parts that were mounted individually in the copying machine layout. These machines, however, suffer from the disadvantages of being complicated, since they consist of a large number of components and are, therefore, are also expensive to manufacture. Still further, these configurations are difficult to install since the stapling unit and base part may easily become displaced relative to one another and thereby preventing stapling from being carried out correctly, and possibly even entirely prevented. Furthermore, the stapling unit and base part may become displaced relative to each other following a short or long period of service, requiring costly service to be carried out at frequent intervals.
As explained in the background above, there exists a need for staplers that permit a workpiece to pass therethrough, and that are of simple in design, easy to install, and in which the risk of relative displacement between the stapling unit and base part during use is reduced, if not eliminated. The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by means of a stapler of the type previously described, but which is characterized by its inclusion of a connecting device which extends on only one of the long sides of the stapler.
The present invention is further characterized in that the connecting device comprises or includes a first guide arrangement located in the front area of the stapler and a second guide arrangement located in the rear area of the stapler.
Alternatively, the present invention is characterized in that the connecting device is provided with a spindle coupling located in the rear area of the stapler, which coupling connects the stapling unit and base part in a pivoting manner, and enables the base part and stapling unit to be pivoted relative to each other in a direction towards and away from each other, and with a guide arrangement located in the front area of the stapler.